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It seems that the U.S. Attorney General has spanked the Federal Immigration Court for a recent decision they made to deport a Mali woman who was the victim of genital mutilation.

The woman in question was seeking asylum because if she was returned to her tribe, she would be forced into an arranged marriage, and was concerned that any female children she had would also be forced to undergo "female circumcision" or genital mutilation.

The court decided to deport her because she had already been the victim of genital mutilation, so why not send her back? The damage was done, it's no concern of ours, (fingers in ears) lalalala! I can't hear you!

Well. Isn't that the most ignorant thing I've heard today.

Really, Board of Immigration Appeals? Really? Since the threat of genital mutilation is reasonable grounds for asylum, you would think these fuckwits would have made at least some small effort to discover the actual process by which women are mutilated. This investigation would have led to the amazing discovery that genital mutilation is not a one-time event for women in these communities. It's done again and again, usually to "fix" what "breaks" after sex and childbirth.

Thankfully, AG Mukasey stepped in and will force the Appeals Board to reconsider the decision. Hopefully, the bad publicity will force a new decision, and this woman (and her offspring) will be able to lead mutilation-free lives.

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comments:

Ayan Hirsi Ali's description of her own "female circumcision" at age 5 haunts me to this day. It's a truly horrific "procedure", and one that is practiced in this country as well; mostly by African immigrants, under the guise of religous freedom.

INS personnel are the rudest, stupidest, most incompetent and draconian arm of the Federal Government. My wife turned her green card in for a passport after we got married, and I got to watch them operate up close and personal. Since they are dealing with non-citizens they can and do all sorts of unconstitutional and quasi-constitutional things.

INS is the DMV of Federal Law enforcement. The DMV is where people too stupid to become state cops wind up (back in MD the pretentious little shits actually had uniforms). INS is where people too stupid to become ATF agents, FBI agents or Secret Service operatives wind up.

I have no first-hand experience with their court systems, fortunately, but I'd imagine that people too stupid to become judges in real Federal Courts wind up in those, positions, as well.

She's been a citizen for over 12 years. She got her Green Card in 86 under that amnesty, but never had the gumption to get the full paperwork until we went to Taiwan in 94, right after we got married. INS gave her such a hard time about getting back into the country on her Taiwanese passport that she decided to go ahead and get the blue one.

She's a dual citizen, something I'm a bit dubious about, but she renewed her ROC passport after letting it lapse for 10 years because she's the executrix of my FIL's will, and you have to be a Taiwanese citizen to fill that role. If we buy that house in Taipei it will get us a tax break, too, but we didn't find that out until we had already settled the will thing.

When the FIL passes away, she will return to vote, as he has done (she's never voted in Taiwan). She wants to honor him in that way, since the KMT got his ass outta the PRC and certain death, she feels the need to continue to support them for him.

I guess I don't have too much of a problem with that.

If it came to a fight between the US and Taiwan, though, she'd side with the US, so by that definition, she's American to me.

My friends mother is Spanish and although she is married to an American and has American kids, is simply a permanent resident of the US.

The only story I've ever her her tell about the INS is that she had an older friend who was married to an American but had (for some reason) never gotten her residency. After her husband died, not understanding how immigration in the US worked, lived in deathly fear of being deported (because you know the INS is all over little old ladies living in WV) Mary walked her through getting her citizenship, and after decades she was finally able to return to visit her family.

There's also a possibly that Mary is a force to be reckoned with, and knows how to game the system. (She forgot to renew her kids' passports, and spend so much time talking to Seantor Rockefeller's office to get a rush put on them she eventually started calling offices and saying, "Well, I was just talking to Rhonda, Senator Rockefeller's assistant, and she said..."

About Me

I am a Hot Chick living in Castle Rock, CO with my fabulous family. We have a rescue dog named "Jackson," and she's a Basenji/Shepherd mix. She's something of a head case, but we love her. I'm a U.S. Navy vet, and I currently work as an Enterprise Solutions Architect, specializing in VoIP and multimedia contact center design. I'm a Trustee for my local library, because LIBRARIES. I care about science, the U.S. Constitution and the military. I'm a tax and spend liberal in a largely red county, but I try not to be stabby about it. I like to color, I aspire to run faster than I do, and I donate knitted cold weather gear to various charities. Stupidity, cupidity and wanton assholery piss me off, and I'm more than a little soft when it comes to dogs and those who serve others. I blog about whatever I feel like. I use foul language, so if that sort of thing offends you, feel free to fuck off now - if I'm unwilling to clean up my language for my fabulous Great Auntie Margie, I'm unlikely to do so for you. Newcomers are welcome here, especially those who disagree with me, but trolling and spamming will be met with the Shovel of Doom™.